Cambridge O-Level Urdu: First and Second Language (3247/3248)

Cambridge O-Level Urdu’s Paper 1 is not a single shared paper: the two syllabuses’ first papers differ in duration, structure and task type, and only the paper title and the 50% weighting are genuinely shared. 3247 First Language Paper 1 is 1 hour 30 minutes, in two parts – Reading (25 marks) and Writing (25 marks). 3248 Second Language Paper 1 is 1 hour 45 minutes, in five sequential exercises (the syllabus states expressly that it is no longer divided into parts), worth 8, 9, 9, 10 and 14 marks. Candidates sit one syllabus or the other, never both, and the right choice depends on whether Urdu is the candidate’s main language (3247) or a learned additional language (3248).

This guide covers Paper 1 Reading and Writing, the paper title used by both of two distinct, currently examined Cambridge O-Level Urdu syllabuses (with a different paper behind that title in each): 3247 First Language Urdu (valid for the 2027 series) and 3248 Second Language Urdu (valid for the 2027-2029 series). Candidates take one or the other, not both, in the same series.

Where this fits in 3247/3248

Both syllabuses split 50/50 between Paper 1 Reading and Writing and a second paper that differs by syllabus: 3247 pairs Paper 1 with Paper 2 Texts, covering an unseen passage, poetry and prose drawn from prescribed set texts, while 3248 pairs Paper 1 with Paper 2 Grammar, Writing and Translation, reflecting its focus on Urdu as an additional rather than first language.

Syllabus coverage

CAMBRIDGE O-LEVEL URDU — PAPER 1 READING AND WRITING

• 3247 First Language Urdu — Paper 1 Reading and Writing (50%), paired with Paper 2 Texts: Unseen Passage, Poetry and Prose (50%), drawn from prescribed set texts
• 3248 Second Language Urdu — Paper 1 Reading and Writing (50%), paired with Paper 2 Grammar, Writing and Translation (50%)

How to approach it

Because 3247 and 3248 are genuinely different qualifications, with different Paper 1 durations and structures as well as different second papers, confirm with your centre which syllabus you are entered for before revising, since both papers differ between the two. For 3247’s Paper 2, secure knowledge of the prescribed poetry and prose set texts is essential, so build quotation banks in the same way you would for an English Literature paper. For 3248’s Paper 2, translation and grammar accuracy are the priority, so regular, structured translation practice between Urdu and English pays off more directly than wider reading. In both syllabuses, Paper 1’s reading and writing components reward practising comprehension and composition as distinct skills under timed conditions.

Official syllabus

Cambridge O-Level First Language Urdu (3247) syllabus for 2027 — cambridgeinternational.org; Cambridge O-Level Second Language Urdu (3248) syllabus for 2027-2029 — cambridgeinternational.org.

Two qualifications, two purposes

The First Language syllabus is for candidates who use Urdu as their main language. It assumes fluency and tests sophisticated comprehension, composition and, in the second paper, response to literary texts.

The Second Language syllabus is for candidates who have learned Urdu in addition to another first language. It tests practical communication — reading for information, functional and creative writing, grammar and translation — at a level appropriate to a learner rather than a native user.

Choosing the wrong route is a real risk: a fluent speaker entered for Second Language is capped, while a learner entered for First Language faces literary demands they have not been taught.

Reading and comprehension

Both routes test comprehension, at different depths.

A dependable method: read the questions first, then the passage once for overall sense, then locate and read around the relevant section. Answers to inference questions are rarely contained in a single sentence.

Distinguish question types. What asks for located detail. Why asks for inference. Questions on the writer’s attitude want evidence from word choice and tone, not plot summary. Where the question says “in your own words”, lifting phrasing from the passage will not score.

3248 sets an explicit summary exercise, marked on identifying the relevant points and on concision — include every required point, exclude examples and repetition, and respect the word limit. 3247 names no summary task — its Paper 1 reading is comprehension questions of varying length rather than a discrete summary — though its aims do include synthesising ideas, so a comprehension question can still ask a candidate to draw points together without that making summary a distinct, separately marked exercise on this route.

Writing

Directed writing covers letters, speeches, reports, articles and dialogues; 3247’s Part 2 composition offers a choice of title from argumentative, discursive, descriptive and narrative types, each drawn from a different topic or sub-topic.

Register is heavily credited and often mishandled. A formal letter needs formal address forms and vocabulary; a message to a friend needs the opposite. Getting this wrong costs marks even where the grammar is faultless.

Plan first. For a discursive piece, decide the line of argument and the two or three supporting points before writing; for a narrative, decide the ending. Unplanned writing drifts, and organisation marks go with it.

Accuracy — where marks are lost

Urdu writing marks concentrate on a small, predictable set of features:

• Gender agreement between noun, adjective and verb.
• Verb forms — tense, person, and the respect levels (tu, tum, aap) used consistently.
• Postpositions — ne, ko, se, mein, par, with the ergative ne required for transitive perfective verbs.
• Izafat and compound constructions in formal writing.
• Script accuracy — dots and diacritics, since a misplaced dot changes the word entirely.
• Punctuation appropriate to Urdu conventions.

Worked example

Deciding register for a directed writing task.

Task: write a letter to the head teacher requesting permission for a trip

Formal register required:
  - respectful address forms and closing
  - aap throughout, never tum
  - formal vocabulary; avoid colloquialisms
  - clear structured request with reasons

Common error: drifting into informal address partway through,
which breaks consistency and costs marks even if every
sentence is grammatically correct on its own.

Common mistakes

Copying from the passage where own words are required. Writing at length for low-mark questions and briefly for high-mark ones. Including examples and repetition in a summary. Mixing respect levels within one piece. Losing gender agreement in extended writing. Omitting the ergative ne. Leaving no time to check the script.

Quick revision checklist

• Know which route you are entered for and what it demands.
• Read widely in Urdu to build vocabulary in context.
• Distinguish detail, inference and attitude questions and answer accordingly.
• Practise summary writing to a word limit, selecting only relevant points.
• Write in a range of registers and formats, planning before you start.
• Drill gender agreement, verb forms, postpositions and script accuracy.
• Always reserve time to check agreement and script at the end.

Related resources

• Paper 1: Revision Notes — condensed recall notes on the 3247 and 3248 Paper 1 formats, marking and technique
• Paper 1: Practice Questions — original exam-style practice in both the 3247 and 3248 formats, with full worked answers
• Cambridge IGCSE Urdu as a Second Language: Paper 1 Reading and Writing (0539) — the same Paper 1 skill set at the same level (each syllabus states that Cambridge O Level, Cambridge IGCSE and Cambridge IGCSE (9–1) syllabuses are at the same level; none of the three Urdu syllabuses names an IGCSE (9–1) Urdu syllabus), for candidates studying towards Cambridge IGCSE Urdu instead — note that 3247, 3248 and 0539 each list the other two as syllabuses that cannot be taken with it in the same examination series
• Cambridge IGCSE Urdu as a Second Language: Paper 1 Reading and Writing — Practice Questions — exam-style practice on the comprehension, summary and writing skills this paper shares with Cambridge IGCSE Urdu
• Edexcel A-Level Urdu: Translation, Reading Comprehension and Writing (9UR0) — Cambridge does offer an A Level in Urdu; for centres in Pakistan this is currently International A Level Urdu 9686, which is itself being replaced by a new language-and-literature code for first examination in 2027, so centres should confirm the current code with Cambridge before entering — this Pearson Edexcel route remains a valid alternative progression for centres elsewhere
• Urdu Language subject hub — all Marlbridge Urdu resources across IGCSE, O-Level and A-Level